Davida Smyth

Biography

Davida S. Smyth received her Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Dublin, Trinity College, Ireland. She completed her postdoctoral training at New York Medical College, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and New York University. Previously she has served as Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Natural Sciences in Mercy College’s School of Health and Natural Sciences, as Assistant Research Scientist in Richard Novick’s lab at NYU Langone Medical Center, as Adjunct Lecturer for the online Master’s in Bioinformatics program at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and an Assistant Professor of Biology at New York City College of Technology (NYCCT).  She was promoted to full professor in 2024 at A&M-SA. She has published more than 50 articles, chapters, reviews, and editorials on her research, and she has guided the research of dozens of undergraduates and graduate students, many of whom have published peer-reviewed articles, presented their work at national and international conferences including the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) annual conference and have received prestigious awards and fellowships. She is currently serving as PI and co-PI of four national science foundation grants including the “Vision and Change in Undergraduate General Education Biology Courses” project, the “HSI Implementation and Evaluation Project: Green Chemistry: Advancing Equity, Relevance, and Environmental Justice” project, the “Addressing Water Security: towards Student Retention, Improved Relevance, and Increased Readiness” project and the “RCN-UBE: A National Network for Integrating the Study of Microbiomes into Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences” project.

She is in much demand as a speaker and has given over 150 workshops, seminars, and keynote addresses at prestigious institutions, conferences, and events. She was appointed an American Society for Microbiology Distinguished Lecturer in 2024. She has been featured on BBC World Service Radio, the Academic Minute, The Science Before the Storm Podcast, This Week in Virology, KSAT, the San Antonio Express, the San Antonio Report, the Irish Examiner, the New York Times, and TPRs Petri Dish. With her undergraduate team, she researches the role of the built environment and anthropogenic activity in driving antibiotic resistance, a major global health threat. She helped establish wastewater epidemiology for New York City during the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and has brought this method to A&M-SA where she is studying San Antonio wastewater, surface waters, and the Edwards Aquifer for potential contamination. She also studies aerosols and airborne transmission of viruses and bacteria in college classrooms. She is noted for her expertise in integrating research into the curriculum in the form of classroom-based undergraduate research experiences or CUREs. She engages in pedagogical research which aims to improve civic and scientific literacy in biology and integrates real-world context into her classes to improve student engagement and success in science. She was part of the task force that reimaged the ASM Curriculum Guidelines for teaching undergraduate microbiology in 2024. Since 2014, she has been involved with SENCER (Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities) and was appointed a SENCER Senior Leadership Fellow in 2018. She was awarded the Mercy College Excellence in Teaching Award in 2018. In 2019 she became a Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE) Fellow and in 2021, was appointed a PULSE Ambassador. In 2020, she was selected as Deputy Director of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement where she leads assessment and faculty development efforts. She was awarded the Faculty Excellence in Advising award from Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School in 2021, the Four-Year College and University Section Biology Teaching Award from the National Association of Biology Teachers in 2022, and the American Society for Microbiology Carski Award for Undergraduate Education in 2024.

Follow her on twitter and Instagram. 

Research Interests

  • Wastewater Based Epidemiology
  • Airborne transmission of microbes
  • Microbial Ecology and Genomics
  • Antibiotic Resistance in Urban Ecosystems
  • Antimicrobials in the Built Environment
  • Food-Energy-Water Nexus
  • Science Education and Civic Engagement
  • Student Reading Skills in STEM
  • Sustainable Science

Peer-Reviewed Publications (Since 2010)

  1. Mendoza-Sanchez, I., Smyth, D.S., Mendez, M.O., Pearl, T., Rifai, H., Howell, N., and Butler, E. (2024). Deployment of wastewater-based public health monitoring systems in small rural communities of Texas. Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education. 180:37-68.
  2. Conefrey, T. and Smyth, D.S. ePortfolios to promote equity, engaged learning, and professional identity development in STEM. (2023). [Special issue on ePortfolios Across the Disciplines] Across the Disciplines, 20(3/4), 110-134, https://doi.org/10.37514/ATD-J.2023.20.3-4.07 
  3. Narayanan, M., Powers, K., Nagaraj, R., Liou-Mark, J., Smyth, D.S and Knopp-Kelly, M. (2023). Peer leader perspectives from a randomized PLTL implementation in a Hispanic Serving Institution. Accepted to JMBE.
  4. Smyth, D.S., Jordan, T., Seiser, R., Moran, M., Hasagar, U., Sorby, S., Kahl, N., Shachter, A. and Oates, K. (2023). Promoting RAPID Vaccine Science Education at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00051-23 ePub ahead of print.
  5. Smyth, D. S., Broderick, N. A., & Goller, C. C. (2023). Editorial: Community series in tools, techniques, and strategies for teaching in a real-world context with microbiology, volume II. Frontiers in Microbiology, 14. DOI: doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1156805
  6. Van Bemmelen, J., Smyth, D.S., and Baaijens, J.A. (2023). AmpliDiff: An Optimized Amplicon Sequencing Approach to Estimating Lineage Abundances in Viral Metagenomes. bioRxiv 2023.07.22.550164; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.07.22.550164
  7. Cancela, F., Ramos, N., Smyth, D.S., Etchebehere, C., Berois, M., Rodríguez, J., Rufo, C., Alemán, A., Borzacconi, L., López, J., González, E., Botto, G., Mirazo, S., & Trujillo, M. (2023). Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 genomic populations on a country-wide scale through targeted sequencing. PLoS ONE 18(4): e0284483. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284483
  8. Skanata, A., Spagnolo, F., Metz, M., Smyth, D.S. and Dennehy, J.J. (2022). Humidity Reduces Rapid and Distant Airborne Dispersal of Viable Viral Particles in Classroom Settings. Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2022, 9, 7, 632–637. I am a co-corresponding author. DOI: doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.2c00243
  9. Smyth, D.S., Chen, S*., Sompanya, G., Metz, M. and Conefrey, T. (2022). How getting friendly with bacteria can promote student appreciation of microbial diversity and their civic scientific literacy. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education 23(2) e00055-22. DOI: doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00055-22
  10. Hoar, C., Chauvin, F., Katehis, D., Clare, A., McGibbon, H., Castro, E., Patinella, P., Dennehy, J.J., Trujillo, M., Smyth, D.S. and Silverman, A. (2022). Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater during New York Citys second wave of COVID-19: Sewershed-level trends and relationships to publicly available clinical testing data. Accepted to Environmental Science, and Technology Letters. DOI: 10.1039/d1ew00747e
  11. Kirby, A.E., Welsh, R.M., Marsh, Z.A., Yu, A.T., Vugia, D.J., Boehm, A.B., Wolfe, M.K., White, B.J.., Matzinger, S.J., Wheeler, A., Bankers, L., Andresen, K., Salatas, C., NYC DEP, Gregory, D.A., Johnson, M.C., Trujillo, M., Kannoly, S., Smyth, D.S, Dennehy, J.J., Sapoval, N., Ensor, K., Treangen, T., Stadler, L.B., Hopkins, L. (2022) Early Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in Community Wastewater. MMWR. 71(3);103–105
  12. Smyth, D.S., Trujillo, M., Gregory, D., Cheung, K, Gao, A., Graham, M., Guan, Y., Hoxie, I., Kannoly, S., Kubota, N., Markman, Rushford, C., M., Myat San, K., Sompanya, G*., Spagnolo, F., Suarez, R., Teixeiro, E., Daniels, M., Johnson, M.C., and Dennehy, JJ. (2022). Tracking Cryptic SARS-CoV-2 Lineages Detected in NYC Wastewater. Nature Communications. 13(635). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28246-3 
  13. Smyth, D., Broderick, N. A., Bowater, L., Goller, C. C., eds. (2021). Tools, Techniques, and Strategies for Teaching in a Real-World Context With Microbiology. Lausanne: Frontiers Media SA. doi: 10.3389/978-2-88971-760-6
  14. Trujillo, M., Cheung, K, Gao, A., Hoxie, I., Kannoly, S., Kubota, N., Myat San, K., Smyth, D.S. and Dennehy, JJ. (2021). Protocol for Safe, Affordable, and Reproducible Isolation and Quantitation of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from Wastewater. PLOS ONE 16(9): e0257454.
  15. Smyth, D.S. and Conefrey, T. (2021). High-Impact Practices for Transforming Online Learning During COVID-19. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice. 21(6)
  16. Goller, C., Vendegrift, M., Cross, W and Smyth, D.S. (2021). Annotating and Co-creating with Hypothes.is and Google Docs. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education. 22(1):22.1.2
  17. Nguyen, A.V., Li, G., Mata, D., Bermudes, O., Fernandez, M., Pubhill, K., Santana, J., Kim, W., Chimbay, E., Eralte, J.*, Metz, M.*, Smyth, D., Orlofsky, A., and Khan, M. (2020). Using Isothermal Loop Amplification (LAMP) as a Tool to Involve Undergraduates in High-Impact Educational Practice. Frontiers in Microbiology. 11: 603381.
  18. Smyth, D.S. (2020). COVID-19, Ebola, Measles: Achieving sustainability in the era of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 62:6, 31-40.
  19. Smyth, D.S. & Conefrey, T. (2020). ePortfolios for Civic Scientific Literacy. The International Journal of ePortfolio. 10(1): 1-18.
  20. Perez, S., Seto, J., Smyth, D.S. and Parker, D. (2020). Biological sex influences susceptibility to Acinetobacter baumannii pneumonia in mice. JCI Insight 5(7):e132223
  21. Letcher, E.* and Smyth D.S. (2020) Hitchhikers in Honey: An investigation of the inhibitory mechanisms of bacteria found in honey. Journal of Student Research. 8(2):1-4.
  22. Banks, M.#, Metz, M.*, and Smyth, D.S. (2020). The sustainability challenges facing research and teaching laboratories when going green. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 62(2):4-13.
  23. Yust, A. and Smyth, D.S. (2019). Simulating Bacterial Growth, competition, and resistance with Agent-Based Models and Laboratory Experiments. In An Introduction to Undergraduate Research in Computational and Mathematical Biology: From Birdsongs to Viscosities, Edited by Hannah Callender Highlander, Alex Capaldi, and Carrie Diaz Eaton. Birkhauser.
  24. Sieg, D., Beverly, N., Narayanan, M., Sabbatini, J., Surendran, G., and Smyth, D.S. (2019). Incubating the SENCER ideals with project-based learning and undergraduate research: perspectives from two liberal arts institutions. Science Education and Civic Engagement: An International Journal. 11(1):50-63.
  25. Smyth, D. An authentic course-based research experience in antibiotic resistance and microbial genomics. Science Education and Civic Engagement: An International Journal. 2017 8(2):59-65.
  26. But, J., Brown, PA and Smyth, D.S. Reading Effectively Across the Disciplines (READ): A Strategy to Improve Student Success. Insight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching. 2017. 12:30-50.
  27. Martínez-Rubio R, Quiles-Puchalt N, Martí M, Humphrey S, Ram G, Smyth D, Chen J, Novick RP, Penadés JR. Phage-inducible islands in the Gram-positive cocci. ISME J. 2016 Dec 13. PubMed PMID: 27959343.
  28. Rose HR, Holzman RS, Altman DR, Smyth DS, Wasserman GA, Kafer JM, Wible M, Mendes RE, Torres VJ, Shopsin B. Cytotoxic Virulence Predicts Mortality in Nosocomial Pneumonia Due to Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J Infect Dis. 2015 Jun 15;211(12):1862-74. PubMed PMID: 25298028.
  29. Mendes RE, Deshpande LM, Smyth DS, Shopsin B, Farrell DJ, Jones RN. Characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains recovered from a phase IV clinical trial for linezolid versus vancomycin for treatment of nosocomial pneumonia. J Clin Microbiol. 2012 Nov;50(11):3694-702. PubMed PMID: 22972817.
  30. Smyth DS, Kafer JM, Wasserman GA, Velickovic L, Mathema B, Holzman RS, Knipe TA, Becker K, von Eiff C, Peters G, Chen L, Kreiswirth BN, Novick RP, Shopsin B. Nasal carriage as a source of agr-defective Staphylococcus aureus J Infect Dis. 2012 Oct;206(8):1168-77. PubMed PMID: 22859823.
  31. Chen L, Shopsin B, Zhao Y, Smyth D, Wasserman GA, Fang C, Liu L, Kreiswirth BN. Real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification assay for rapid detection and quantification of agr functionality in clinical Staphylococcus aureus J Clin Microbiol. 2012 Mar;50(3):657-61. PubMed PMID: 22219302.
  32. Smyth DS, Wong A, Robinson DA. Cross-species spread of SCCmec IV subtypes in staphylococci. Infect Genet Evol. 2011 Mar;11(2):446-53. doi: 10.1016/j.meegid.2010.12.005. PubMed PMID: 21172458.
  33. Guinane CM, Ben Zakour NL, Tormo-Mas MA, Weinert LA, Lowder BV, Cartwright RA, Smyth DS, Smyth CJ, Lindsay JA, Gould KA, Witney A, Hinds J, Bollback JP, Rambaut A, Penadés JR, Fitzgerald JR. Evolutionary genomics of Staphylococcus aureus reveals insights into the origin and molecular basis of ruminant host adaptation. Genome Biol Evol. 2010 Jul 12;2:454-66. PubMed PMID: 20624747.
  34. Chen L, Mediavilla JR, Smyth DS, Chavda KD, Ionescu R, Roberts RB, Robinson DA, Kreiswirth BN. Identification of a novel transposon (Tn6072) and a truncated staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec element in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2010 Aug;54(8):3347-54. PubMed PMID: 20479198.
  35. Smyth DS, McDougal LK, Gran FW, Manoharan A, Enright MC, Song JH, de Lencastre H, Robinson DA. Population structure of a hybrid clonal group of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, ST239-MRSA-III. PLoS One. 2010 Jan 5;5(1):e8582. PubMed PMID: 20062529.
  36. Wong A, Reddy SP, Smyth DS, Aguero-Rosenfeld ME, Sakoulas G, Robinson DA. Polyphyletic emergence of linezolid-resistant staphylococci in the United States. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2010 Feb;54(2):742-8. PubMed PMID: 19933808.
  37. Smyth, D. S., and D.A. Robinson. (2010). Population genetics of Staphylococcus. In Bacterial Population Genetics in Infectious Disease, Edited by D. Ashley Robinson, Daniel Falush and Edward J. Feil. John Wiley & Sons, Inc

 

Davida Smyth

College Of Arts And Sciences

Department of Natural Sciences


Professor

Sci Tech Suite 311 Room 311E
(210) 784-2475
dsmyth@tamusa.edu
View CV

Course Teachings

SubjectNumberSectionDescriptionTermSyllabi
BIOL 4304 502 Undergrad Research in Biology Fall 2024 Syllabus
BIOL 4407 01L Virology Lab Fall 2024 Syllabus
BIOL 3104 502 Research Experience in Biology Fall 2024 Syllabus
UNIV 1301 018 First Year Seminar Fall 2024 Syllabus
BIOL 5470 001 Special Graduate Topics in Bio Fall 2024 Syllabus
BIOL 5306 201 Thesis Fall 2024 Syllabus
BIOL 4407 005 Virology Fall 2024 Syllabus